Ryan Neepin

I am a Cree scholar, educator, and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. As a member of Fox Lake Cree Nation, my work focuses on Indigenous education, decolonial pedagogies, and anti-colonial practices in teacher education. My scholarship is grounded in relationality, community engagement, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into educational theory and practice. I hold a Ph.D. from OISE/UT in Curriculum and Pedagogy, my dissertation is entitled: Exploring Educator Resistances to Integrating Indigenous Perspectives in K-12 Classroom Practices. I am also a former elelmentary school teacher.

I am the co-editor of The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indigenous Education and Research (Bloomsbury, 2025), a collection that brings together global Indigenous perspectives on pedagogy, research ethics, sovereignty, and 2-Spirit/Indigiqueer knowledges. In my teaching and research, I emphasize learning with, rather than about, Indigenous communities—encouraging educators to approach teaching as a process of co-learning, reciprocity, and ethical relationship-building.

Drawing on both academic research and lived experience, I contribute to national and international conversations about reconciliation, Indigenous sovereignty in education, and the decolonization of curriculum and pedagogy. My work has been shared through academic conferences, community-based projects, and interviews that highlight transformative and relational approaches to teacher education.

Through my scholarship, mentorship, and advocacy, I am committed to advancing Indigenous education. My goal is to foster inclusive learning environments and to help reshape educational systems toward relational accountability, community wellness, and justice.